


Forgiveness

by phantomhivemast3r



Series: Detroit: Become Human Oneshots [7]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Forgiveness, Found Family, Gen, Pairing is suggested but isn't the basis for the fic, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), everyone is happy, feel-good fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 20:47:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16048259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomhivemast3r/pseuds/phantomhivemast3r
Summary: Kara, Luther, and Alice are visited by some familiar faces. One is more welcome than the other, but softhearted Alice aims to change that fact.





	Forgiveness

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! I have another multi-part story in the works, but while I finish that up I thought it'd be nice to have another little break with Kara's family. This one is more lighthearted than the last Kara-centric story! Enjoy~

** Forgiveness **

“Kara?”

“Hmm?”

“Are we ever going to see Markus again?”

Kara glanced across the room at Luther, their slightly confused expressions mirroring each other’s. Luther shrugged and returned to sewing up the rip in Alice’s jeans created that morning by a rather spectacular tumble off some playground equipment.

“I’m not sure what you’re asking, Alice,” Kara said, looking down at the young android sitting next to her on the couch. “We see him every other day on the news.”

“I know, but I mean are we ever going to see him again in _person_?” As usual, Alice’s eyes were full of unspoken questions masked by the ingrained need to keep them to herself. Over the past few months, she’d gotten much better at speaking her mind, although there was still a long way to go until she felt comfortable talking openly to anyone besides her adoptive family.

“Where did this come from?” Kara asked with a smile, running a hand over Alice’s head.

“I… I never got to thank him for helping us at Jericho.” Alice shrugged, looking at her lap. “I just wanted to tell him how grateful I am.”

Kara stole another glance at Luther, echoing his thoughts:

_After everything she’s been through, how is this girl still so kind?_

“I’m sure we’ll see him again someday, little one,” Luther said reassuringly.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door. All three androids jumped, tensing. It had been months since their safe relocation in Canada, but the residual trauma of their past experiences still lingered within them.

Luther was the first one to relax, seeing Rose walk down the stairs from the upper landing. Her brother’s house was a large, three-story dwelling with plenty of room for two families to coexist peacefully. Rose wore a huge smile, a twinkle in her eye as if she knew something that Luther didn’t.

“One moment!” she called through the door after checking to see who was outside. She turned to face the androids sitting around the living room. “I have a surprise for you all!”

“Rose, you’ve already done so much for us,” Kara said, placing her hands in her lap as Alice readjusted herself to peer over the top of the couch. “You don’t have to keep giving us things.”

“For once, this actually wasn’t _my_ decision.” Rose chuckled. “Someone wanted to pay you a visit, and I’m certainly not in a position to say no to _him.”_

Kara gasped as Rose opened the door to reveal none other than the previous topic of discussion: Markus.

“Did you know he was coming?” Kara whispered to Alice, who shook her head. Instead of being unnerved by the strange coincidence, the big grin on Alice's face revealed that she was as happy as could be.

“Hello Luther, Kara, Alice,” Markus said, nodding as he said each android’s name. He stepped inside the house, wearing a reserved smile. “I apologize for the sudden visit; I didn’t have a surefire way of contacting you personally, but I managed to get in touch with Rose when I was nearby and asked if we could come over to see how you were doing.”

“We’re doing very well, thanks to you and people like Miss Rose,” Luther said, standing up and vigorously shaking Markus’ hand. He then paused, noticing someone else slip inside the house just before Rose closed the door.

Kara and Alice stood and walked around the couch, their focus trained on the second unexpected guest. His dark brown eyes darted between the girls and Luther, processing whether he would still be perceived as a threat, arms locked at his sides as one hand tapped nervously against his leg.

“Connor, they’re not going to hurt you,” Markus said, noting the tension in the room. He gently pushed the other android in front of him with a brief, reassuring squeeze of the shoulder.

“…Hello,” Connor said, a dazzling half-smile hiding the residual anxiety in his expression. “We were never properly introduced before- my name is Connor. I was the android sent by CyberLife to… well, I’m sure you remember.”

Kara nodded, arms protectively wrapped around Alice’s shoulders, although she felt no real threat. She did indeed remember Connor, the android that nearly caught them after their stay in the abandoned house downtown.

“Connor’s been working closely with me to help the android relocation program back in Detroit,” Markus explained. “Trust me, he’s completely on our side.”

Sensing that there was no danger of a potential altercation, Rose quietly slipped back upstairs with a nod towards Kara. Luther took a step forward and held out a hand.

“Thank you for helping Markus with our kind,” he said. Despite Luther’s imposing figure, Connor shook his hand without hesitation.

“Of course,” Connor responded. “It’s the least I can do.”

Kara felt a shift of weight beneath her hands as Alice slipped out of her grasp and walked up to the visiting androids. Markus knelt to be eye-level with her, resting his forearms against his knees.

“Connor tells me you’ve been through quite a lot, Alice,” Markus said, and the girl nodded. “But I’m guessing you’re doing a lot better now with your new family?”

“Yes,” Alice answered, nodding more vigorously. A small smile crossed Kara’s lips. “Everyone here takes care of me.”

“I’m so glad to hear that.” Markus gave Alice’s hair a gentle ruffle, disarraying a few pieces pulled tightly into her ponytail. He glanced up at Kara, his eyes meeting her own. “And how have _you_ been?”

“We’ve settled in nicely here,” Kara answered. “As Alice said, Rose’s family is very good to us.”

“Fantastic,” Markus said, as Luther nodded in agreement with Kara. “My original plan was to stop by and thank Rose for her continued help, but when she mentioned that you three were here I figured, why not check up on you personally? This process has been a huge adjustment for everyone, and it’s certainly been harder for some.”

A pain-filled flash of darkness crossed Markus’ face so quickly Kara thought she might have imagined it. He then took a step back, maneuvering Connor back in front of him.

“Connor was traveling with me at the time I learned you were staying here. He wanted to…” Markus paused, shifting his gaze to the android at his side. “…Well, I’ll let _him_ explain why he’s here.”

Connor stood up straight, sparing Luther a quick glance before focusing on Kara and Alice.

“I… wanted to apologize. What I tried to do to you both was…” Connor paused, frowning, his attention shifting to the ground. “I was still a machine back then, trying to obey my program. It doesn’t excuse me from almost getting you killed on that highway, but…” His eyes met Kara’s, conveying all the newfound emotions of _regret_ and _remorse_ he could handle at one time. “I truly _am_ sorry.”

There was another beat of silence. Fabric shifting filled the room’s tense ambience as Alice took a few steps forward and wrapped her arms around Connor’s waist.

“We understand,” she said, speaking for her family as the increased pressure caused Connor’s LED light to flash a confused yellow. He hoped to be forgiven, but he hadn’t expected such instant forgiveness as this. Hesitantly, he gave Alice’s head a light pat. She smiled and released him, looking back towards her mother.

“You were acting based on your direction,” Kara said, stepping up to Connor and lightly squeezing his upper arm, a calm smile on her face. “We all used to be the same way.”

“It’s the choices we make now that truly matter,” Luther added, also flashing a brief smile. Utterly stunned by such a warm reception, all Connor could do was nod.

Kara’s family had had many discussions over what would happen when they undoubtedly met Connor again. The android had tried to capture them and had put Alice in danger- those facts were indisputable. But he’d done so much _since_ that rainy day in November that no one would dare claim he was still the same mindless robot as before.

They’d been following Connor’s actions almost as closely as Markus’, and the moment that Alice announced that Connor was forgiven in her heart, he was forgiven in Kara’s and Luther’s as well.

Of course, Connor was unaware of this and had come to see the little family with only a vague hope of being welcomed into their midst. Thus, he remained in a stunned silence with the rest of the room until Alice eventually spoke up, excitedly bouncing onto her heels and changing the topic in the abrupt way only a child could.

“Oh! Markus, Kara’s been teaching me origami!” she exclaimed, ecstatic to have someone to share her newfound hobby with. “Let me show you!”

“Sure; I'd love to see,” Markus said with a chuckle as Alice grabbed his hand and started tugging him towards the kitchen table, which was littered with colored paper and various, fiber-made creatures.

“If you have to leave, we understand,” Kara said softly, grabbing his shoulder, and the sudden resistance made Alice pause to allow Markus to respond. The android shook his head, giving her another small smile.

“We’ve been traveling in the snow for a quite a while,” he answered. “It’s a big relief to spend some time in a warm house. Besides, I still need to talk to Rose. We’ll set back out in a few hours.”

Kara inclined her head in understanding, releasing Markus’ shoulder. Alice took a step forward, then abruptly turned and grabbed Connor’s hand as well, pulling him along towards the table with Markus. Connor looked from Kara to Luther, surprised, and they both laughed.

As Kara watched her daughter animatedly begin to show off her creations, an increasingly familiar feeling of _calm_ washed over her.

“It’s really over now, isn’t it?” she asked as Luther stepped up to her side, sensing the change in her psyche.

“For us, it is,” he replied, placing a comforting arm around her shoulders.

They stood together, two people with a bond formed under the most unlikely of circumstances. Then, in unspoken agreement, they moved in unison to join their daughter and extended family at the kitchen table, ready to swap stories of time spent apart.

There were so many things to learn about each other, and they had all the time in the world to do just that.


End file.
